New Jail Moves Forward

The County Board of Supervisors approved Tuesday a resolution approving and signing of the 2011 Local Jail Constructing Financing.

In a previous Board action, the Sheriff’s Office was authorized to move forward in the competitive process for new jail construction funding available through Assembly Bill 900. The Department hired an outside consulting firm to prepare the required Needs Assessment documents and funding application for submittal to the Corrections Standards Authority. The Needs Assessment and funding application must be submitted to CSA by January 11, 2012 for evaluation and approval for our local jail construction project.

The required planning documents and applications for AB 900 Phase II construction funding are being completed by the consultant in response to the January 11, 2012 timeline. The AB 900 Phase II application is requesting $33 million in State jail construction lease revenue bond financing to expand inmate custody housing and needed program support space for Imperial County jail facilities. The scope of the AB 900 Phase II construction project will include the programming, design and construction of a new 228 bed, medium security tiered housing unit in a dormitory configuration. The construction project will also include building space for expanded inmate programs, medical services, new jail pre-book and intake processing unit, Central Control, laundry, and administration/staff services center.

The Corrections Standards Authority will evaluate the Sheriff’s Office application for AB 900 Phase II construction funding and will announce conditional awards for the county jail construction projects in March 2012. If the Sheriff’s Office application is accepted by CSA and conditional awarded AB 900 Phase II construction funding, the project schedule indicate that the completion of the jail project and occupancy of the new facility would likely occur in the Fall of 2016. The Sheriff’s Office, under the AB 900 Phase II funding requirements, would be expected to staff and open the new jail facility within 90 day of the issuance of the Notice of Completion of the proposed construction project.